SERAP v. Federal Republic of Nigeria
Country: NigeriaYear: 2012
Court: The Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
Citation: JUDGMENT N° ECW/CCJ/JUD/18/12.
Health Topics: Diet and nutrition, Environmental health, Public safety, Water, sanitation and hygiene
Human Rights: Right to a clean environment, Right to food, Right to health, Right to water and sanitation
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), a non-governmental organization, filed a case against the Federal Republic of Nigeria alleging human rights violations as a result of the government’s failure to ensure adequate environmental protection in the Niger Delta due to oil spillage. SERAP alleged that decades of oil prospection and exploitation by private corporations …Read more
Masangano v. Attorney General
Country: MalawiYear: 2009
Court: High Court at Lilongwe
Citation: 2009 AHRLR 353 (MHC 2009)
Health Topics: Diet and nutrition, Health care and health services, Infectious diseases, Prisons
Human Rights: Freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment
Gable Masango, a prisoner serving a twelve-year prison term in Malawi, brought suit against Malawian government officials claiming the conditions of his and his fellow prisoners’ imprisonment violated the Republic of Malawi Constitution and the Prison Regulations of the Prisons Act (“Prison Regulations”). The prisoner alleged that the prison provided insufficient resources, including insufficient diet …Read more
Sudan Human Rights Organisation, et al. v. Sudan
Country: SudanYear: 2009
Court: African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights
Citation: Comm. No. 279/03-296/05 (2009).
Health Topics: Diet and nutrition, Disasters and emergencies, Environmental health, Health care and health services, Medicines, Sexual and reproductive health, Violence, Water, sanitation and hygiene
Human Rights: Freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, Freedom of movement and residence, Right to due process/fair trial, Right to health, Right to housing, Right to liberty and security of person, Right to life, Right to property
The complainants, two human rights organizations based in Sudan, the United Kingdom and Canada, alleged gross and systematic violations of human rights on the part of the Republic of Sudan and Government-supported militia forces in the Darfur region against indigenous tribes, including the Fur, Marsalit and Zaghawa. The organizations alleged that since General Omar Al-Bashir …Read more
Defensor del Pueblo de la Nación v. Estado Nacional et al.
Country: ArgentinaYear: 2007
Court: Supreme Court of Justice [Corte Suprema de Justicia de la Nación Argentina]
Citation: Corte Suprema de Justicia de la Nación [CSJN] [National Supreme Court of Justice], 18/9/2007, "Defensor del Pueblo de la Nación c/ Estado Nacional y otra (Provincia del Chaco) s/proceso de conocimiento," (D. 587. XLIII) (Arg.).
Health Topics: Chronic and noncommunicable diseases, Diet and nutrition, Health care and health services, Infectious diseases, Poverty, Water, sanitation and hygiene
Human Rights: Right to bodily integrity, Right to education, Right to food, Right to health, Right to life, Right to participation, Right to water and sanitation, Right to work
Argentina’s Human Rights Ombudsman brought a claim against the National Government and the Province of Chaco to force Respondents to take the necessary measures to improve the deleterious living conditions of an indigenous community in Chaco that amounted to circumstances of extreme emergency. The Ombudsman claimed that the community lacked fundamental and basic necessities as …Read more
Kranti v. Union of India & Ors
Country: IndiaYear: 2007
Court: Supreme Court
Citation: Appeal (civil) No. 2681/2007
Health Topics: Diet and nutrition, Disasters and emergencies, Health systems and financing, Poverty, Water, sanitation and hygiene
Human Rights: Right to food, Right to water and sanitation
The plaintiffs were residents of a group of islands heavily affected by the 2004 tsunami. They argued that they were facing a number of problems which the local administration could take steps to mitigate and that the problems required immediate governmental action. They argued that, while there were relief funds, these funds were not being …Read more
Yakye Axa Indigenous Community of the Enxet-Lengua People v. Paraguay
Country: ParaguayYear: 2005
Court: Inter-American Court of Human Rights
Citation: Series C No. 125, June 17, 2005
Health Topics: Aging, Child and adolescent health, Diet and nutrition, Health care and health services, Poverty
Human Rights: Freedom of movement and residence, Right to a clean environment, Right to due process/fair trial, Right to food, Right to health, Right to housing, Right to life, Right to property, Right to water and sanitation, Rights to the benefits of culture
Petitioners, leaders of the Yakye Axa indigenous community of the Enxet-Lengua people, filed suit against the Republic of Paraguay alleging violations articles 4 (right to life) and 25 (right to judicial Protection) of the American Convention on Human Rights (the Convention). They further alleged that Paraguay ignored article 27 of the International Covenant on Civil …Read more
Yakye Axa Indigenous Community v. Paraguay
Country: ParaguayYear: 2005
Court: Inter-American Court of Human Rights
Citation: Yakye Axa Indigenous Cmty. v. Para., Merits, Reparations and Costs, Judgment, Inter-Am. Ct. H.R. (ser. C) No. 125 (June 17, 2005).
Health Topics: Child and adolescent health, Diet and nutrition, Health care and health services, Medicines, Water, sanitation and hygiene
Human Rights: Right to due process/fair trial, Right to life, Right to property
The indigenous community of Yakye Axa, a traditional society of hunter-gatherers, was resettled as part of a development program in Paraguay started in 1979. They were displaced to lands with a natural environment and resources that were different from the Yakye Axa’s traditional territory and incompatible with their traditional means of subsistence. They also faced …Read more
Yakye Axa Indigenous Community of the Enxet-Lengua People v. Paraguay
Country: ParaguayYear: 2002
Court: Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
Citation: Yakye Axa Indigenous Cmty. of the Enxet-Lengua People v. Para., Case 12.313, Inter-Am. Comm’n H.R., Report No. 2/02, OEA/Ser.L./V/II.117, doc. 1 rev. 1 (2003).
Health Topics: Child and adolescent health, Diet and nutrition, Health care and health services, Water, sanitation and hygiene
Human Rights: Right to due process/fair trial, Right to property
This case was heard by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. Their opinion is available here. Leaders of the Yakye Axa indigenous community of the Enxet-Lengua people filed suit against the Republic of Paraguay claiming that the Paraguayan State violated Articles 4 (right to life) and 25 (judicial protection), in conjunction with Article 1(1) (obligation …Read more
The Social and Economic Rights Action Center, et al. v. Nigeria
Country: NigeriaYear: 2001
Court: African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights
Citation: Comm. No. 155/96 (2001).
Health Topics: Chronic and noncommunicable diseases, Diet and nutrition, Environmental health, Infectious diseases, Violence, Water, sanitation and hygiene
Human Rights: Freedom from discrimination, Right to a clean environment, Right to food, Right to health, Right to housing, Right to life, Right to property
The applicant alleged that the military government of Nigeria (Government), in its efforts to produce oil through the State-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), contaminated the environment of the Ogoni People and led to environmental degradation and health problems among that community. More specifically, the applicant claimed that the NNPC, acting within a consortium with …Read more